Floor covering and process of preparing the same



April 1935 R. G. JAcKsoN 1,998,779

FLOOR COVERING AND PROCESS OF PREPARING THE SAME Filed June 2, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 1 2?" 1. l (/29 2 l l if Z 2 7 2 a April 23, 1935. R. e.JACKSON 1,998,779

FLOOR COVERING AND PROCESS OF PREPARING THE SAME Filed June 2, 1931 2sheets-sheetz Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES FLOOR oovnnmc ANDrnocnss or PREPARING THE' SAME Ralph G. Jackson, Woodbury, N. J.

Application 33 Claims.

This invention relates to floor coverings and to a process of making thesame and pertains generally to an improvement in the production of1,729,882 and 1,729,833, both patented October 1,

floor covering including 1929. In these patents was described a new andimproved type of smooth surface water proof the use of a sheet offibrous material having penetrating decorative coloring therein andhaving the voids between the decorated fibers filled with a saturantfilling material leaving the decorations visible therethrough andproviding a toughening and wear resisting property to the decoratedsheet.

In the present improvement, unexpected and remarkable effects inappearance and wearing quality have been obtained by using as the floorcovering sheet in lieu of the felt or paper such as disclosed in Patents1,729,832 and 1,729,833, a

new type of felt sheet peculiar in that it has what maybe defined ascurled or kinky vegetable fibers of wood pulp. One such product nowavailable is known as Krafelt and is identified and described generallyin British Patent 313,085, although perhaps insufficiently therein andfor which reason there will be embodied in this specification a shortstatement as to how the felt sheet is prepared prior to being treateddecoratively and completed according to the present invention. Themanufacture of the felted sheet, per se, is not claimed as a part of thepresent invention, but the resultant sheet and the steps of preparing itare peculiarly related to the resultant success achieved by the presentinvention, as will be shown. One characteristic appearance of the floorcoverings made by this invention from the curly fiber type of sheet isthe obtainable velvety texture of the surface which has an actual napsurface when the sheet is treated as prescribed herein. It has also beenfound that the final decorated and completed product is wear resisting,and will wear smoothly and uniformly with even texture and is highlyresistant to tearing strains.

Certain ad 'tional peculiar advantages are obtained as a result of usingthe type of absorbent felt base described and in treating it in themanner explained herein. There appear to be at least two outstandingcharacteristics of the felted pulp fibers. One is the curled conditionof the fibers and the other is the swelling of the fibers. Due to thefact that the fibers are swollen, they June 2, 1931, Serial No. 541,668(01. ill-67.9)

make a more open felt than previously known; also paints and dyespenetrate better than they do in other sheets, and also due to the factthat the fibers are curled and hooked and matted together, the dyes orinks, although they may follow the fiber, do not spread out laterally sofar as they would on fibrous material heretofore known. For this reason,more definite lines may be formed in the resultant product by printingor otherwise applying decorations. The printedor colored lines aresmoother on the edges due to the fact'that the fibers are curled and donot extend so far in any direction. The sheet obtains its strength byinterlocking of the fibers due to the shape of the fibers. In this typeof sheet, the surface may be roughened, that is, the nap may be raised,mechanically, after the sheet has been made. Due to the formation of thesheet, the fibers after being raised are hooked and matted together anddo not loos'en in such a way that they might tend to be lost from thesheet.

The above and other advantages, and features of the invention aredescribed and claimed in the following specification and claims and thestructure is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 represents diagrammatically a top plan view of a section of floorcovering showing a portion which is decorated with relatively fine linesforming a conventional geometric design;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the floor covering shown in Fig. 1,illustrating the decorating material extending in lines downward throughthe material of the base;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. l, but showing amodification of the coloring scheme, displaying solid. colors arrangedin squares;

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the covering shown in Fig. 3, showing anexample wherein a bacidng has been applied to the floor side .of thecovering;

Fig. 5 is an edge view such as Fig. 4 of a piece of floor covering buthaving a surface decoration in the respective zones as well aspenetrating decoration;

Fig. 6 is an edge view of door covering having a nap ing on the fioorside;

Fig. 7 is an edge view decorated floor covering, display surfaces;

Fig 8 is an edge view of a reversible piece of decorated floor coveringhaving a nap surface on both sides; and

Fig. 9 is an edge view of an embossed sheet of decorated floor covering.

a piece of decorated surface, and a backof a reversible piece of bothsides constituting Referring in detail to the several figures of thedrawings, l indicates an untreated portion of a sheet of unsaturated,absorbent, mechanically or chemically treated wood pulp having a kinkyor curly fiber, and prepared as hereinafter described. 2 indicates adecorative penetrating col oring material which extends well down into,as for example, substantially through, the thickness of the felt fromtop to bottom. This may be applied in lines of different color, asindicated by Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be applied in solid colors, asindicated by Figs. 3 and 4, in which the parts 2 represent red and theparts 2 represent blue, thus simulating a tile effect. This coloringeffect may be worked out as desired, as for instance, in alternatesquares of black and white. 3 indicates an outer transparent wearsurface coat, such as may be provided by a coating of cellulose esterlacquer or transparent varnish material. This is optional, and may beomitted,

although for some floor coverings, it may prove desirable. Instead ofthe geometric figures illus-' trated in the drawings, the decorationsmay be of any design.

The material of the colors and decorative effects ordinarily extendsubstantially through the thickness of the sheet, as shown in Fig. 2,following the individual fibers. In Fig: 4, however, is shown a sheetwhereon a paint backing has been applied at 4. The paint backing is ofplain color and is so applied that the oil or vehicle of the backingextends only a slight distance into the sheet, as shown, and the paintis of such a consistency that the pigment is not carried to anyperceptible amount into the sheet. Instead of the paint backing, abacking containing rubber, or a composition of oil and cork, may beapplied.

The degree of penetration and impregnation of the penetrating coloringmaterial depends on the density and absorbability of the fibrous base,the thickness of the sheet, the amount of pressure used when thecoloring material is employed and on the amount of and the degree offiuidity of the coloring material. When a second or surface decorativepaint 5 is applied as shown in Fig. 5, the paint will have the samecolor as the penetrating decorative material, but a much heavierconsistency.

After the decorative media has been applied and allowed to dry, thesheet may be treated with a water proofing saturant such as a solutioncontaining a cellulose ester, or containing resins and waxes, whichcompletely fill the remaining voids between the fibers. The addition ofresins and waxes to the saturant gives added smoothness to the surfacewhen the sheet is subjected to pressure. It is contemplated that thesaturant may be substantially transparent, as in the case of theinventions described in my Patents 1,729,832 and 1,729,833, hereinbeforementioned.

The application of the coloring matter may be done in several ways. Thecolor may be deposited by a printing machine and in this way a figureddecoration may be obtained or a continuous color coating applied, or thesheet may be passed between rollers and the paint applied to one or bothsurfaces and forced in by the squeezing action of the rollers. As anoptional method, the fibers may be tinted at the beater stage after theyhave been subjected to the curling or kinking treatment and just priorto the formation of them into the felt sheet.

After the saturant has dried, the sheet is subjected to pressure in apress or by passing it through calenders. Excellent eflects can also beproduced by embossing, which is accomplished by using fluted rolls, orembossing rolls having any desired design thereon. Such an embossedsheet is shown in Fig. 9, the raised or embossed portions beingdesignated by the reference numeral 6. a

It may be desirable to produce a sheet having a nap on one or bothsurfaces, as in Figs. 6 and 8, where the nap is indicated at 1, beingconfined to one surface in Fig. 6, but appearing on both in Fig. 8. Inthis event, in decorating the sheet, the amount of paint applied and theproportion of pigment and vehicle are controlled, so that only thequantity is applied which will sink into the surface to cover the fibersand give them color, but still leave a soft surface having a nap, whichmay be raised mechanically after the sheet is made. In painting asurface where a nap is to be raised, from 30% to 50% of the vehicle usedin the paint will be volatile. In ordinary printing, such as is done ona hard surface, only from 5% to 15% of the vehicle is volatile matter.If paints of such low volatility were used here, the nap or figureswould be so matted down that a hard surface material would be produced.

When so desired, instead of producing a soft surface material having anap, a plain fioor covering sheet having a base of mechanically andchemically puffed and curled fibrous material may be finished on bothsides, waterproofed, decorated, and surfaced, thereby producing areversible finished floor covering. Such a finished material is shown inFig. 7, the surfacing material, which may be of a cellulose ester ortransparent artificial resin type, being indicated at 3.

It has also been found desirable to use two grades of paints, one whichhas great penetrating qualities, which will consist of very finelyground pigments in a penetrating medium, while the other may not containsuch finely ground pigments and will be in a vehicle which does not haveas great penetrating qualities. By applying penetrating paint first andthen applying the other paint directly on top of it, both being of thesame color, it has been found that there is a limited amount of pigmentand vehicle left on the surface and when the sheet treated this way ispassed through a calender or subjected to pressure, a smooth surface isobtained which is practically identical with the surface of a sheet oflinoleum. Passing it under pressure, whether through calenders or apress, coupled with the influence of a binding medium or saturant,enables the production of a much harder sheet with better wear resistingqualities, and with a smoother surface than can be accomplished by usinga printing machine. The use of two paints of the same color but adifferent degree of penetrability forms another feature of my invention.

A similar effect to that above described is obtained by employing awaterproof saturant containing waxes. The use of saturants containingresins and waxes may most readily be effected with the supplementary useof heat in order to insure ease of penetration. Such materials giveadded smoothness to the surface when the sheet is subjected to pressure.The resultant product when saturated with Wax, may readily be polishedwithout the subsequent addition of wax in the course of ordinary floorcovering use.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of a backing on asheet of water proof felt of the type used as a base in the compositiondescribed herein. As a backing material, a coat of paint may be employedin order to give the tion of pigment back a uniform color, or a backingmight be used containing rubber, or containing a composition of oil andcork. The backing with paint may in many instances be doneadvantageously before the felt sheet is saturated or decorated. It hasbeen found that by putting a coat of paint on the floor side of thesheet when it is finished and allowing the oils or vehicle of thisbacking to slightly penetrate the sheet, the sheet is stiffened andgiven a tough layer on one side which enables the sheet to be handledwithout wrinkling. The paint must be of such a consistency that thevehicle will penetrate the sheet to a slight degree but the pigment willnot be carried to any perceptible amount into the sheet.

Another method of increasing the stiffness of the sheet and making iteasier to handle is to prime it with a penetrating sizing material or apriming material such as an oil with a slight amount of resin in it. Theoil may be a drying oil such as linseed oil, china wood oil, and thelike. The resin may be either natural such as colophony, or artificialsuch as a resin of the phenol-aldehyde or glycerol-phthalic acid type.The sheet is moistened part or all the way through with the said sizingor priming material and the oil allowed to set or oxidize. This willbond the fibers slightly and so fix them that when the sheet isdistorted they will not push out of place and leave a mark on the faceof the sheet. If the priming or sizing material were placed in theheaters when the sheet was made, the sheet would come out with thefibers so bonded together that it would not have the same penetratingqualities that it does if the sheet is formed first and the fibersplaced and then the priming or sizing material used to toughen thesheet; In using the priming or sizing material, it is necessary to limitthe quantity so that the voids of the sheet are not filled but an amountis applied simply suflicient to moisten the fibers and place them in atacky and slightly stiffened condition. This can readily be done withoutdecreasing the penetrating quality.

Another feature of this invention is the control of the amount of paintapplied and the propor and vehicle so that only the quantity is appliedwhich will sink into the sheet and leave only an amount on the surfaceor in sight on the surface to cover the fibers and give them color, butstill leave a soft surface having a nap, when such a surface is desired.When the amount of coloring material is properly controlled, the sheetwill be penetrated and yet there will not be enough left on the surfaceto make a continuous film. The nap is raised mechanically after thesheet has been decorated and saturated. By treating both sides of thefelt base in this manner, a piece of goods may be produced having arelatively soft appearing surface on both sides.

If desired, a sheet of plain or solid color fioor covering material ofKrafelt base may be finished on both sides, and thus made reversible,being waterproofed, decorated, and surfaced in substantial duplicationon both sides, or with modification of design if the degree ofpenetration of the decorative medium be controlled with respect to thethickness of the sheet, coloring penetrating from the opposite facestoward the center only about one-half the thickness of the sheet.

The method of manufacturing the non-woven fibrous sheet materialcomposed of artificially crinkled fibers and forming the base materialfor the improved impregnated product of this invention is essentially asfollows: Wood or other suitable fibrous cellulosic pulp, prepared by anysuitable chemical process for producing pulp, is treated with a swellingagent under conditions of concentration and temperature such that thereactivity of the solution does not reach the stage required to bringabout gelatinization of the cellulose. The swelling agent is washed outbefore the reaction has. proceeded appreciably further than required toswell thefibers. The crinkled fibers are then made into a felt or paperby the usual paper-making steps. Among the various suitable swellingagents are zinc chloride, ferric chloride, various thiocyanates,cuprammonium solutions, etc., but preferably caustic alkali, andparticularly sodium hydroxide in concentrations between 8% and 35%. If acaustic alkali other than sodium hydroxide is used these percentagesrepresent an equivalent concentration of sodium hydroxide. While higherconcentrations of caustic may be used it is not necessary or economicalto go above 35%. While temperatures between -10 C. and +104 C. may beused in conducting the process, room temperature is the most desirableand convenient. In order to prevent a too drastic action of the causticon the pulp and to prevent weight losses, the ratio of liquor to pulpshould not rise too high. Thus excellent results are produced by usingsodium hydroxide liquor in a proportion of from 4.5 to 7.4 parts byweight for one part of pulp. Since the proportion of liquor used in thispresent process is somewhat smaller than is used in other processes fortreating cellulose, whether in the manufacture of pulp or in thetreatment of finished pulp for the purpose of purifying it, the mixingof the pulp and liquor within the relatively short period permitted forcontact between the pulp and caustic, is effected by means of anapparatus which squeezes the pulp without abrasive or other mechanicalaction which tends to break up the fiber. A suitable apparatus for thispurpose is the usual kneading machine, or ordinary beater machine inwhich the beater roll is raised from about 3mm. to 12 mm. above the bedplate. The time of treatment, generally only a matter of several secondsto 30 minutes, should not extend beyond the point at which a superficialgelatinization of the fibers takes place and must stop before there isany appreciable loss of fiber identity. To this end a stream of water isrun into the mixing apparatus to wash out the caustic and to stop thereaction after a time not appreciably longer than required to completelydistribute the caustic throughout the pulp.

The time of treatment is dependent for the most part upon the speed atwhich the caustic solution is distributed throughout the pulp and uponthe temperature of the solution since caustic alkali solution, aspointed out in the mentioned application, becomes increasingly reactiveas the temperature is lowered, also because of the increased tendency ofthe cellulose to dissolve in cold caustic the time of treatment must beshortened. With excellent mixing, as when a small quantity of pulp isstirred rapidly with a paddle into the caustic solution, thirty secondsis sufficient, even at a temperature as high as room temperature, i. e.20 to 30 C. When large quantities of pulp are treated, it is notpossible, however, to cause such rapid admixture of pulp and caustic inthe mixing machine and the time of treatment is, therefore, somewhatlonger, usually between 10 and 30 minutes. A practical method ofdetermining the end point, the time at which the reaction between thecaustic and fibers should be stopped, consists in dispersing the fibersin freeness and a short draining time under the same conditions denotinga high freeness. Inasmuch as the highly absorbent crinkled fibers fromwhich the base is made have a remarkably high freeness as compared toother pulps, the

freeness value not only determines the end point referred to above butalso serves to identify the product. Since this high freeness does notpermit of measurement with sufficient accuracy by the 'methodsconventionally used, it has been found necessary to express the freenessvalues in terms of a freeness testing method which requires a longertime in seconds for the water to drain from the pulp. The freeness isdefined as the time in seconds for the water level of a dispersion ofthe pulp, at 25 C. containing 5 grams of bone dry pulp in suflicientwater to make 1000 cc. of pulp suspension, to drop 30 centimeters whenthe suspension is contained in a vertical glass tube 1H; inches indiameter closed at the bottom with a circular brass wire screen 1 inchesin diameter, 0.006 inches thick and having a mesh of 50 x 70. Inconducting the test the lower end of the tube is provided with anextension which is filled with water to the level of the screen at thebottom of the tube so that the pulp in the tube will not deposit uponthe screen until an orifice in the extension is opened permitting thewater to flow down through the pulp deposited thereon.

The duration of the caustic treatment, under the particular conditionsof temperature and concentration, should be such that the freeness asdefined above is between certain limits. It should be pointed out,however, that it is unnecessary for the skilled operator to conduct sucha freeness test to aid in carrying out the process or to identify theproduct, the experience gained through trial and error being sufficientto determine the duration of the treatment which seldom exceeds 30minutes and is preferably no longer than required to uniformlydistribute the caustic throughout the pulp.

The unusually high freeness of the pulp from which is made the basematerial for the new impregnated article of manufacture is shown bycomparison with other pulps known to have a high freeness value. Thusthe fibers of kraft pulp crinkled at 25 C. with 22% sodium hydroxide hada freeness of 26.4 seconds and when crinkled with 8% caustic had afreeness of 39.2 seconds whereas the same pulp without the crinklingtreatment has a much slower freeness as evidenced by the 63.7 secondsfound as its freeness value. Similarly, bleached sulfite pulp crinkledwith 18% caustic has a freeness of 36.6 seconds whereas ordinarybleached sulfite without the crinkling treatment has a freeness of 105.8seconds and the more porous specially purified bleached sulfite pulpwithout the crinkling treatment has a freeness of 80.8 seconds. A sampleof blotter pulp tested had a freeness of 284 seconds.

After the crinkling process has been completed and the caustic removedfrom the pulp by washing, the pulp may be beaten, while dispersed inwater, with a paper beating machine in order to improve the strength ofthe felted product.

pulp may be impregnated directly, especially when the impregnating mediais an aqueous dispersion, and the impregnating pulp then made into sheetform.

The crinkled fibers obtained by the described method of treating pulpwith caustic and washing out the caustic after a short time, or thesefibers after the mentioned beating in water, are deposited in the formof a sheet, as in known methods of manufacturing paper, and the sheet isthereupon dried. The exceptionally high porosity of the resultingproduct may be noted from the fact that the porosity, as determined bythe Gurley Densometer, varies from 0.4 seconds to 12 seconds as comparedto blotting paper which seldom shows, by the same test, a porosity lessthan 40 seconds.

The crinkled fibrous product as described, or the paper or felt producedtherefrom, are characterized by a coloration test with zinc chloriodide.This test, taken in connection with other characteristics mentionedhereinafter, also serves to identify the new impregnated product. Inmaking the test the pulp or paper is dispersed in 10 cc. distilled waterin a test tube, and the water drained and expressed from the pulp bypressure to about 75% moisture. When this pulp is transferred to a testtube containing 5 cc. of zinc chloriodide solution at 20-25 C. andshaken until dispersed there is a prompt appearance of a blue ,color inthe pulp which indicates that it has been treated with a sodiumhydroxide solution of 7.5% to 35% concentration. Mixtures of treated anduntreated fibers are recognized under the microscope after standing withzinc chloriodide'solution. The color produced by the crinkled unbleachedkraft pulps is almost black due to the brown color of the pulp. Thistest distinguishes from pulps made by the soda process with 8%-1l%sodium hydroxide solution under high temperature and pressure but whichhave not received the additional sodium hydroxide treatment of thecrinkling process described herein. Pulp made from the soda process andwhich has not been crinkled as described show only a very slightcoloration readily distinguished from the deeper color produced by thetreated pulp.

One form of the highly porous sheet material above described may also beprepared by the method set forth in Patent 1,757,756, issued to GeorgeL. Schwartz, May 6, 1930, which consists in treating a felt or papermade from ordinary paper pulp with a swelling agent such as sodiumhydroxide at a concentration of 2.5 to 8 mols per mols of water for 15to 20 seconds at a temperature between the freezing point and 20 C.higher, 1. e., between 12 C. and +8 C. for sodium hydroxide, and washingout the gelatinizing or swelling agent at the completion of thereaction. It will be noted that when the absorbent felted product ismade by treating paper instead of pulp, which is subsequently felted itis necessary to use a more reactive swelling agent, at the lowtemperature mentioned.

macaw It is to be understood that the term artificially crinkled fibers,as used in the claims, refers to the curled and kinked product obtainedas -decorations and causing artificially curled vegetable fibers bythereto a decorative medium to provide'figured hydroxide solution,

above described by the action of a swelling agent on fibers in pulp formwhich is'washed out of the fibers after the short time required forcompletion of the desired reaction between the swelling agent andfibers, as distinguished from the fibers in paper which has been merelypuffed by the treatment of paper as for instance by the means used inthe previously mentioned patent which consists in crystallizing salts ina sheet of paper. The objects of the present invention cannot beobtained with products of the kind of this latter type.

The crinkled fibers from which the base of the new impregnated articleis made is also to be distinguished from the fibers of pulp which havereceived asubsequent purifying treatment with caustic inasmuch as thistreatment is extended as to time and is, furthermore, usually conducted.under drastic conditions with respect to high liquor ratio andmechanical manipulation as are suitable for the production of high gradepapers. The described crinkled product cannot be produced under theseconditions.

Claims to a sheet covering having nap surface characteristics arepresented in my copending application Serial 634,057, filed September20, 1932.

I claim:

1. A process of making sheets suitable for use in smooth surface floorcoverings which process comprises treating a non-woven felted sheet ofartificially curled vegetable fibers by applying thereto a decorativemedium to provide figured decorations and causing the same to penetrateinto the body of the sheet and tint the fibers and be visible on atleast one face of the sheet, and subsequently saturating the decoratedsheet with a water proof toughening agent capable of solidifying andresisting wear.

2. A process of making sheets suitable for use in smooth surface fioorcoverings which process comprises treating a non-woven felted sheet ofartificially curled vegetable fibers by applying thereto a decorativemedium to provide figured the same to penetrate into the body of thesheet and tint the fibers and be visible on at least one face of thesheet, and subsequently saturating the decorated sheet with a waterproof toughening agent capable of solidifying and resisting wear, saidcurled vegetable fibers-being characterized by the particular shape andcondition resulting from treating them while in pulp form with aswelling agent, washing out the swelling agent before the reaction hasproceeded appreciably further than required to swell the fibers, andmaking the fibers into a felted sheet.

3. A process of making sheets suitable for'use in smooth surface fioorcoverings which process comprises treating a non-woven felted ,sheet ofpply n decorations and causing the same to penetrate into the body ofthe sheet and tint the fibers and be visible on at least one face of thesheet, and subsequently saturating the decorated sheet with a waterproof toughening agent capable of solidifying and resisting wear, saidcurled vegetable fibers being characterized by the particular shape andcondition resulting from treating them while in pulp form with anaqueous sodium washing out the solution before the reaction hasproceeded appreciably further than required to swell the fibers, andmaking the fibers into a felted sheet.

4. A process of making sheets suitable for use in smooth surface fioorcoverings which process comprises treating a non-woven felted sheet ofartificially curled vegetable fibers by applying thereto a decorativemedium to provide figured decorations and causing the same to penetrateinto the body of the sheet and tint the fibers and be visible on atleast one face of the sheet, and subsequently saturating the decoratedsheet with a water proof toughening agent capable of solidifying andresisting wear, said curled vegetable fibers being characterized by theparticular shape and condition resulting from treating them while in.pulp form with sodium hydroxide of 8% to 35% concentratiomwashing outthe caustic after a time not appreciably longer than required tocompletely distribute the caustic solution throughout the pulp, andmaking the fibers into felt.

5. A process of making sheets suitable for-use in smooth surface fioorcoverings which process comprises treating a non-woven felted sheet ofartificially curled vegetable fibers by applying thereto a decorativemedium to provide figured decorations and causing the same to penetrateinto the body of the sheet and tint the fibers and be visible on atleastv one face of the sheet, and subsequently saturating the decoratedsheet with a water proof toughening agent capable of solidifying andresisting wear, said curled vegetable fibers being characterized by theparticular shape and condition resulting from treating them while inpulp form with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution of 8% to 35%concentration within a temperature range of approximately -10 C. to +l0iC., mixing the solution with the pulp in an apparatus which squeezes thepulp without abrasive action, washing out the caustic alkali after atime not appreciably longer than required to completely distribute thecaustic solution throughout the pulp by said apparatus, and making thefibers into felt.

6. A process of making sheets suitable for use in smooth surface fioorcoverings which process comprises treating a non-woven felted sheet ofartifically curled vegetable fibers by applying thereto a decorativemedium to provide figured decorations and causing the same to penetrateinto the body of the sheet and tint the fibers and be visible on atleast one face of the sheet, and subsequently saturating the decoratedsheet with a water proof toughening agent capable of solidifying andresisting wear, said curled vegetable fibers being characterized by theparticular shape and condition resulting from treating them while inpulp form with sodium hydroxide solution of 8% to 35% concentration inthe proportion of about 4.5 to 7.4 parts by weight of solution for onepart by weight of pulp, mixing the solution with the pulp in squeezesthe pulp without abrasive action, washing out the caustic alkali after atime not appreciably longer than required to completely distribute thecaustic solution throughout the pulp an apparatus which.

into the body of the sheet and tint the fibers and be visible on atleast one face of the sheet, and subsequently saturating the decoratedsheet with a water proof toughening agent capable of solidifying andresisting wear, said curled vegetable fibers being characterized by theparticular shape and condition resulting from treating them while inpulp form with sodium hydroxide solution of 8% to 35% concentration, inthe proportion of about 4.5 to 7.4 parts by weight of solution for onepart by weight of pulp, mixing the solution with the pulp for 10 to 30minutes in an apparatus which squeezes the pulp without abrasive action,washing out the caustic, and making the fibers into felt.

8. A process of making sheets suitable for use in smooth surface fioorcoverings which process comprises treating a non-woven felted sheet ofartificially curled vegetable fibers by applying thereto a decorativemedium to provide figured decorations and causing the same to penetrateinto the body of the sheet and tint the fibers and be visible on atleast one face of the sheet, and subsequently saturating the decoratedsheet with a water proof toughening agent capable of solidifying andresisting wear, said curled vegetable fibers being characterized by theparticular shape and condition resulting from treating them while inpulp form with sodium hydroxide solution of 18% concentration, in theproportion of about 4.5 to 7.4 parts by weight of solution for one partby weight of pulp, mixing the solution with the pulp for minutes in anapparatus which squeezes the pulp without abrasive action, washing outthe caustic, and making the fibers into felt.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a tough, pliable sheet materialcomprising a non-woven base of artificially crinkled fibers, said basecarrying coloring media forming figured decorations, and beingimpregnated with a saturating composition disclosing the coloring mediatherethrough and providing a toughening effect resistant to floorcovering usage.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a tough, pliable sheet materialcomprising a non-woven base of artificially crinkled fibers, said basecarrying figured decorations extending well down into the sheet andtinting the fibers, and said base being impregnated with a saturatingcomposition filling the voids between the fibers and disclosing the tintthereof through the composition and providing a toughening effectresistant to abrasion.

11. A fioor covering of the smooth surface type comprising a sheet ofabsorbent felted fibrous material containing a substantial proportion ofcurled cellulose fibers and having colored decorative figures visible onat least one face thereof and extending well down into the body of thesheet and tinting the fibers but not filling the voids between thefibers.

12. A floor covering of the smooth surface water proof type comprising asheet of absorbent felted fibrous material containing a substantialproportion of curled cellulose fibers and having colored decorativefigures visible on at least one face thereof and extending well downinto the body of the sheet and tinting the fibers but not filling thevoids between the fibers, and a water proof transparent saturant fillingmaterial which has been dried by evaporation filling the voids betweenthe fibers and substantially throughout the thickness of the sheet andproviding a smooth tough wear surface.

13. A process of producing a sheet suitable for use as a smooth surfacefloor covering comprising applying a penetrating decorative coloringmaterial to one face of a sheet of absorbent felted fibrous materialcontaining a substantial proportion of curled cellulose fibers andthereby causing the coloring material to tint the fibers and formfigured decorations but not fill the voids between the fibers, and thenapplying pressure to the sheet of felted fibrous material to secure asmooth surface thereon.

14. A process of producing a sheet suitable for use as a smooth surfacefioor covering of the water proof type comprising applying a penetratingdecorative coloring material to one face of a sheet of absorbent feltedfibrous material containing a substantial proportion of curled cellulosefibers and thereby causing the coloring material to tint the fibers andform figured decorations but not fill the voids between the fibers,filling the voids between the fibers with a water proof transparentsaturant filling material, and drying said water proof transparentsaturant filling material by evaporation, and then applying pressure tothe sheet of felted fibrous material to secure a smooth surface thereon.

15. A floor covering of the smooth surface type comprising a sheet ofabsorbent felted fibrous material containing a substantial proportion ofcurled cellulose fibers and having figured decorative surface coloringvisible on at least one face thereof and additional coloring material ofthe same color as the surface coloring but more penetrating in qualityextending well down into the body of the sheet and tinting the fibersbut not filling the voids between the fibers.

16. A floor covering of the smooth surface type comprising a sheet ofabsorbent felted fibrous material containing a substantial proportion ofcurled cellulose fibers and having figured decorative surface coloringvisible on at least one face thereof and additional coloring material ofthe same color as the surface coloring but more penetrating in qualityextending well down into the body of the sheet and tinting the fibersbut not filling the voids between the fibers, and a water prooftransparent saturant filling material which has been dried byevaporation filling the voids between the fibers and substantiallythroughout the thickness of the sheet and providing a smooth, tough,wear surface.

17. A process of producing a sheet suitable for use as a smooth surfacefioor covering comprising applying a penetrating decorative coloringmaterial to one face of a sheet of absorbent felted fibrous materialcontaining a substantial proportion of curled cellulose fibers andthereby causing the coloring material to tint the fibers and formfigured decorations but not fill the voids between the fibers, applyinga top coating of relatively non-penetrating surface coloring material ofthe same color as said penetrating decorative coloring material, andthen applying pressure to the sheet of felted fibrous material to securea smooth surface thereon.

18. A process of producing a sheet suitable for use as a smooth surfacefioor covering of the water proof type comprising applying a penetratingdecorative coloring material to one face of a sheet of absorbent feltedfibrous material containing a substantial proportion of curled cellulosefibers and thereby causing the coloring material to tint the fibers andform figured decorations but not fill the voids between the fibers,filling the voids between the fibers with a: water proof transparentsaturant filling material by evaporation, applying a top coating ofrelatively non-penetrating surface coloring material of the same coloras said penetrating decorative coloring material, and then applyingpressure to the sheet of felted fibrous material to secure a smoothsurface thereon.

19. A floor covering of the smooth surface type comprising a'sheet ofabsorbent felted fibrous material containing a substantial proportion ofcurled cellulose fibers and bearing printed figured decorations, thecolors of which printed decorations extend through the thickness of thesheet and are also visible on the upper surface of the sheet.

20. A floor covering of the smooth surface water proof type comprising asheet of absorbent felted fibrous material containing a substantialproportion of curled cellulose fibers and bearing printed figureddecorations, the colors of which printed decorations extend through thethickness of the sheet and are also visible on the upper surface of thesheet, and a water proof transparent saturant filling material which hasbeen dried by evaporation filling the voids between the fibers andsubstantially throughout the thickness of the sheet and providing asmooth tough wear surface.

21. As a new article of manufacture, a felted sheet of chemicallysoftened and puffed wood fibers, carrying coloring material formingdecorative figures and having the voids therebe'tween filled with atransparent water proofing saturant material.

22. A. fioor covering of the smooth surface type comprising a sheet ofabsorbent felted fibrous material containing a substantial proportion ofcurled cellulose fibers and having decorative colored figures visible onat least one face thereof and extending well down into the body of thesheet and tinting the fibers but not filling the voids between thefibers, the amount of coloring applied having been so controlled that nocontinuous film appears on the surface of the sheet.

23. A process of producing a sheet suitable for use as a smooth surfacefioor covering of the water proof type comprising applying a penetratingdecorative-v coloring material to one face of a sheet of absorbentfelted fibrous material containing a substantial proportion of curledcellulose fibers and thereby causing the coloring material to tint thefibers and form figured decorations but not fill gthe voids between thefibers, filling the voids between the fibers with a water prooftransparentsaturant filling material, and drying said water prooftransparent saturant filling material by "evaporation, controlling theamount of coloring applied so as to leave no continuous film of coloranywhere on the surface of the sheet, and then applying pressure to thesheet of felted fibrous material to secure a smooth surface thereon.

24'. As a new article of manufacture a sheet of absorbent felted fibrousmaterial containing a substantial proportion of curled cellulose fibersand having decorative colored figures visible on at least one facethereof and extending well down into the body of the sheet and tintingthe fibers but not filling the voids between the fibers, and astiffening composition on said sheet and extending within the body ofthe sheet on one face thereof.

25. A process of producing a sheet suitable for use as a smoothsurfacefioor covering comprising applying a penetrating decorativecoloring material to one face of a sheet of absorbent felted 'theimpregnated fibrous material containing a substantial proportion ofcurled cellulose fibers and thereby causing the coloring material totint the fibers and form figured decorations but not fill the voidsbetween the fibers, and then applying pressure to the sheet of feltedfibrous material to secure a smooth surface thereon, applying astiffening composition to one side of the sheet, and then filling thevoids between the fibers with a water proof transparent saturant fillingmaterial, and drying said water proof transparent saturant fillingmaterial by evaporation.

26. A process of producing a sheet suitable for use as a fioor coveringwhich process comprises priming a sheet of felted fibrous materialhaving chemically curled and puffed fibers without filling the voids inthe sheet, by coating one surface of said sheet with a priming materialcontaining a drying oil, allowing said priming material to dry andthereby cause a setting of the fibers, then applying a decorativecoloring to the sheet and causing the coloring to penetrate along thefibers and form figured decorations through the sheet.

2'7. A process of producing a sheet suitable for use as a fioor coveringwhich process comprises priming a sheet of felted fibrous materialhaving chemically curled and puffed fibers without filling the voids inthe sheet, by coating one surface of said sheet with a priming materialcontaining a drying oil, allowing said priming material to dry andthereby cause a setting of the fibers, then applying a decorativecoloring to the sheet and causing the coloring to penetrate along thefibers and form figured decorations through the sheet, and finally waterproofing said sheet by filling the voids between the fibers thereof witha transparent water proof saturant filling material.

28. As a new article of manufacture, a reversible piece of plain fioorcovering having a base of chemically curled and swollen fibers, andwater proofed, decorated with pigment on both sides forming figures andsurfaced with a hard transparent wear surfacing material.

29. A process of producing a decorative sheet material which processcomprises priming a sheet of felted fibrous material with primingmaterial in an amount insuflicient to fill the voids in the sheet,applying apenetrating decorative coloring material to a face of theprimed sheet and causing the coloring material to penetrate into thesheet and tint the fibers in the body of the sheet, and applyingpressure to the surface of the decorated sheet to form a smooth,compacted wear surface.

30. A process of producing a decorative sheet material which processcomprises priming a sheet of felted fibrous material with primingmaterial in an amount insufficient to fill the voids in the sheet,applying a penetrating decorative coloring material to a face of theprimed sheet and causing the coloring to penetrate along the fibers andform figured decorations through the sheet, and applying pressure to thesurface of the decorated sheet to form a smooth, compacted wear surface.

31. A process of producing a decorative sheet material which processcomprises impregnating a sheet of felted fibrous material, containing asubstantial proportion of crinkled cellulose fibers,

with a composition containing resin and oil without filling the voids inthe sheet, applying a penetrating decorative coloring material to a faceof sheet and causing the coloring to penetrate along the fibers and formfigured decorations through the sheet, and applying pressure to thesurface of the decorated sheet.

32. A process of producing a decorative sheet -material which processcomprises impregnating a sheet of porous fibrous material with acomposition to serve as a fiber coating and binding agent the saidcomposition being applied to fill the voids between the fibers to only alimited extent, the quantity in the voids being insuflicient to fillthem, applying a decorative coloring material to the face of the sheetthus impregnated and causing the coloring material to penetrate welldown into the body of the sheet, and applying pressure to the surface ofthe sheet thus impregnated and decorated to form a smooth, compactedwear surface.

33. A process of producing a decorative sheet material which processcomprises impregnating a sheet of porous fibrous material with acomposition containing resin and oil to serve as a binding agent thesaid composition being applied to fill the voids between the fibers toonly a limited extent, the quantity in the voids being insufficient tofill them, applying decorative coloring matter to the impregnated sheetand causing the coloring matter to penetrate substantially through thethickness of the sheet, and applying pressure to the surface of thedecorated sheet to form a smooth, compacted wear surface.

RALPH G. JACKSON.

CERTIFICATE OF EURRMHQN.

Patent Ne. 1,998,??9. April 23, 1935.

RALPH G. EACKSOM it is hereby certified that errer appears in theprinted specification of the above numbere eatem requiring correction asfeliews: Page 4, seeend ceiumn, line 4e fer "mending" read staning; andpage 5, second eelumn, line 49, ciaim 6, fer "artifieally" readartifieialiy; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with theseeerree'tions therein that the same may eenform to the record of the easein the Patent Gifice.

Signed and seeded this em day 0% Gateber, A. D. 1935.

Lesl ie Frazer (Seal) Acting (lemmissioner of Patents,

